Meet The Future Euro Champs: Strikers.

The fact is, we don’t have strikers who score goals in top European leagues. We don’t even have ones that score in average-level leagues. Fortunately, for Leo Beenhakker scoring goals is not the most important quality of a striker. For him, they have to play as a part of the team and the result will come naturally, regardless of who puts the ball in the net.

Still, we had one top goalscorer in the qualifiers. It was, of course, Ebi Smolarek, who netted 9 goals. The thing is, he didn’t really play as a striker. He usually starts on a left wing and only in a course of the game he takes up the position of a striker. This proved a very efficient strategy as Ebi surprised the opponents with runs from the midfield. Our other striker, Maciej Zurawski, isn’t a typical goal poacher as well. He usually plays behind a lone striker and likes to drop deep into the midfield. To be honest, the only player that fulfilled the role of a lone striker in the qualifiers, Radoslaw Matusiak, wasn’t called up due to poor form. Two remaining attackers, Marek Saganowski and Tomasz Zahorski, are utility players that will enter the field only when really needed, that is closer to the end of a game.

Euzebiusz Smolarek:
Date of Birth: 09.01.1981
Position: ST, AML
Club: Racing Santander
Number of caps: 31/13 goals
Shirt nr: 7
Nickname: Ebi
Role in the team: to score goals and play a decisive role in our matches. So far, he was the most important ingredient in Leo’s biggest wins against Portugal (2 goals) and Belgium (2 goals). He plays on the left wing and as a striker alternately. Confident of his individual skills, he’s never afraid to dribble.
My opinion: a player with the biggest goalscoring instinct in the team, he can always be expected to score. He is also one of only a few players that can do something unexpected. I’m sure he’ll handle the pressure well. I like the fact that he’s always confident and never feels inferior to the opposing team.
Interesting fact: his father Wlodzimierz (former Polish legend) named him Euzebiusz to honour the Portuguese maestro Eusebio.
Best known for: historical goals against Portugal

and Belgium

Maciej Zurawski:
Date of Birth: 12.11.1976
Position: ST, AMC, AMR
Club: AE Larissa
Number of caps: 71/17 goals
Shirt nr: 9
Nickname: Magic, Zuraw
Role in the team: our team captain. His role is both scoring goals and organizing the play. He doesn’t wait for the ball, but likes to drop back for it. Used to be very fast, now his game is mainly based on experience and technique. Great right footed shot. Disappointed in all 6 games he played for Poland in major tournaments, that’s his last chance to become Bialo Czerwoni true legend.
My opinion: I like the fact that the team is not based on him like 2 years ago. I don’t think he has a character of a leader; he performs best when the whole team is playing well. Looked in form before the tournament, says that he is reborn after last half a year in Greece.
Interesting fact: I was lucky to live in Scotland when Magic was transfered to Celtic. Scottish press made up some great stories about him e.g: that everybody calls him Magic in Poland (he got this nickname in Scotland) or that Maciek and his wife are as popular in Poland as Becks and Posh in England (I’d never seen his wife before).
Best known for: a lot of memories, superb goal against Wales away

a goal against England (I was behind that goal)

goals for Wisla to defeat Schalke in Gelsenkirchen

and a decisive goal in an Old Firm derby

Tomasz Zahorski:
Date of Birth: 22.11.1984
Position: ST, ML, MR
Club: Gornik Zabrze
Number of caps: 9/1 goal
Shirt nr: 21
Nickname: Zahor
Role in the team: to come on in the dying minutes of a game and score a beautiful header. He’ll definetily be a substitute as he proved in the recent friendlies that he’s not yet ready for a serious challenge. Possesses great timing in the air and may prove useful in both penalty areas. Can also play on both wings but rarely impresses there.
My opinion: he may be a lone striker we’ve been looking for, but we have to give him 1-2 more years. He’s quite fast for a tall guy and can even dribble on a good day (as against Serbia). I can see him coming on the field in dying minutes of a game when we need somebody to put a header in the net.
Interesting fact: when he was first called up by Leo he hadn’t even scored a single league goal. Everybody thought that Zahor’s striking partner, Dawid Jarka who had 8-9 goals at the time, should be given a chance. Since then, Zahorski’s got 10 times on the scoresheet and Jarka’s added only 2 goals.
Best known for: an instant progress after a call up from Leo

and a sole nt goal against Estonia

Marek Saganowski:
Date of Birth: 31.10.1978
Position: ST
Club: FC Southampton
Number of caps: 23/3 goals
Shirt nr: 11
Nickname: Sagan
Role in the team: he’ll probably be the first striker to come off the bench. A player with a fantastic work ethic, he’s in the team to run at tired defenders in the last minutes. One of the biggest fighters in the team.
My opinion: skills wise, I don’t rate him very high. However, I understand that Leo needs a player who’ll come on the field and give absolutely everything, run after every ball and put pressure on defenders everytime he’s near them. Puts his head where everybody else is afraid to put their feet.
Interesting fact: he played for the first time in the nt when he was just 18 in 1996. At that time he was considered the biggest talent in Polish football. Disappointing spells at Feyenoord and Hamburger SV and a serious motorbike crash prevented him from fulfilling his potential.
Best known for: two goals off the bench against Azerbaijan

and a hattrick for Southampton

A lot of highlights there. Now, after analyzing both offensive midfielders and strikers tell me how our offense should look like (choose 4 players)?

How should Poland’s offensive lineup look like?
( surveys)